7mm-08 for 500 yard F-class ?
- Thread starter Hammer
- Start date
Out of a straight 7mm-08 I think you'd should be able to AI would for sure.
I've looked at 7mm-08AI as a sling prone rifle as should be able to get the 175/180s to 2740ish. Not my .280 but would work. But never had anyone say for sure what it could do with a long barrel so affraid to do one without knowing.
XTR
F-TR obssessed shooting junkie
The 7-08 is probably a lot like the parent 308 when it comes to barrel length. A long time ago I chambered a 34” 308 for F-TR. Initial testing showed it was slower than a 30“ barrel. I cut it to 30 or 32 after the first match. (Was a long time ago, I dont remember)
I’ve also tested 32s and 30s in the 308. (4 barrels, 2@32 and 2@30)The 32s average MV was in the range of 15fps faster than the 30s. After that I never had a barrel over 30”.
Do some searching here. A few yrs ago there was someone doing a 7-08 project for class. May have been Aussie, I don’t remember the details.
I’ve also tested 32s and 30s in the 308. (4 barrels, 2@32 and 2@30)The 32s average MV was in the range of 15fps faster than the 30s. After that I never had a barrel over 30”.
Do some searching here. A few yrs ago there was someone doing a 7-08 project for class. May have been Aussie, I don’t remember the details.
NZ_Fclass
Silver $$ Contributor
7-08, along with the 280 AI have been tried in F-Class. You don't see any on the range. Both are so out-classed by the 284/SAUM/etc. that no-one bothers.
But for 500 yds only, if that's all you do, just about anything with a bullet should be fine. I enjoy 5/600 yds with a 223, and on most days, and my back not killing me, can clean the target.
6BR is a better choice - and save money on powder and bullets.
But for 500 yds only, if that's all you do, just about anything with a bullet should be fine. I enjoy 5/600 yds with a 223, and on most days, and my back not killing me, can clean the target.
6BR is a better choice - and save money on powder and bullets.
Curious how 280AI gets outclassed by the 284 and the SAUM, etc. Not shooting F-Class but my 280 with 180s and a 32" barrel get 2920fps pretty easy using H1000, switched to N165 and speeds pretty much the same. Can get them to 3020 if I want to be hard on the cases. 280AI I'm guessing can get to 3100s. Is it just an accuracy thing?
Watching……very interested in this.
I have pondered a 7mm-08 in AR-Tactical for CMP Long Range.
Keith Glasscock
Gold $$ Contributor
That's an easy question to answer, but nobody will like the answer...
Ever heard the saying "Win on Sunday, sell of Monday" uttered in relation to stock car racing?
We are all looking for the next new, best thing. No matter if it is truly better or not, if someone starts winning big with a new cartridge, many shooters will follow suit. Not long thereafter, one of them will win, and the whole vicious cycle repeats. Next thing you know, everyone thinks you have to shoot that cartridge to win.
We live in echo chambers as a normal state of being. Adding the internet to the equation only increased the size of the chamber, but not the psychological effect. It effectively silences the diversity of thought in the game.
I shoot F Open with both 6BR & .280AI. The “6” to 600 and the .280AI beyond and it holds it‘s own against another member’s 7SAUM + a 284; also I can readily find brass for it {unlike the SAUM} as well as a better barrel life.
Running Berger 184’s at 2’820 up from 2’735 and that has really upped performance from Okay to Now that’s more like it!
4831SC/AR2213SC, 32” barrel
I do have a spare barrel waiting along with reamer and dies and a magnum bolt to turn it over to a 7PRCW just to “keep up with the Jones”….
To which I can only add my race car days saying that applies to this sport as well…
Speed cost money…. How fast do you want to go…?
Drop down to the 168 Bergers with the 7/08 at 500 / 600 yards. But actually
my work with the 150 gr SMKs was where I settled when still shooting the 7/08.
I never worked with the 180's but did work with the 175's with a 28 inch barrel.
Hard pressed to get over 2500 fps safely......
Keith,
Kind of what I was figuring. Was outclassed because nobody else is using/winning with it. Like an argument I had with someone saying 6SLR was better than 243 Win. Said same pressure same speed bullet doesn't care.
64Rambler
Gold $$ Contributor
I'm running 7-08 for F-Open with Berger 180 Hybrids. CBTO ~ 2.30" 2630 fps ES 27 SD 6.8 It shoots in 3's at 100 and 200 yds, but not so tight at 600 - so that's on me. I wish Berger made a 168-ish Hybrid. The VLDs have been very tempermental for me, but I can push them to 2750 fps. I have a 7-08 Improved to break in this year, but will need custom dies, so I'm throwing on a 6BRA barrel for this season. Here's a 180 Hybrid 200 yd group; the flier was cold barrel after a line break.
Attachments
You're wrong, I love the answer.
I built a 7mm-08 prone rifle in, I think, 1979. A 28 inch Hart barrel on a Model 70 Palma rifle. At that time, the bullets available were the 168 Sierra and the 162 Hornady. The Sierra did about 2740 and the Hornady about 40 fps more. Accuracy was good but I never shot the rifle in "F" class, so it didn't get a fair test. The owner did shoot it in "F" but wasn't able to shoot it to its potential. For a 500 yd rifle, I think it would be fine, but I think a 6.5 CM would be better. So would a 6BR. Rather than trying to cheat the wind with a long, heavy, 7mm bullet, I think a person is better off learning the effect of the wind on the most accurate bullet you can find and go from there. WH
I once asked Col. Billy about building something different, he said yea you can try that if you want but why reinvent the wheel? There are so many people shooting XXXX and so much knowledge about how to make it work and so many using it successfully, why spend all the time and energy bucking the wind. I think he is right.
May be a Gap ?? That's the way it's been for many years. Nobody is
interested, which has the side effect of no jackets going to after market.
Consider the 7BR has been around since the late 70's......crickets.. Every
time I say I need to walk away from the 7mm's, my addiction kicks back in.
Working on a new one......
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